


A Place Where I Can Go

by alistoney



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Friendship, Hope, Piano, Slightly - Freeform, baby parabatai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 09:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17444270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alistoney/pseuds/alistoney
Summary: He hasn’t played in a while. Not since his father had died.





	A Place Where I Can Go

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write something about how Alec and Jace’s friendship and trust in one another started. This is what ended up happening. Getting into Jace’s head was an interesting experience but I like what I ended up with a lot and I hope you do too!
> 
> Title is from Home by Machine Gun Kelly, Bebe Rexha and X Ambassadors (it’s such a Jace song especially at the time of his life that this fic is set in)

Jace doesn’t know exactly how it happens. One moment he’s trying to fall asleep in the lumpy bed in the unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar Institute that is supposed to be his new home, and then the next moment he’s wandering aimlessly down the dark halls.

He lets his fingers graze the marble on the walls and traces runes he knows are used for protection as he walks down the halls. He makes sure to keep his footsteps light and his breathing slow so he doesn’t get caught. He doesn’t want to get in trouble on his first night here.

He stops in his tracks when he passes a room with the door left ajar. From the crack in the doorway he can see a grand piano set against the wall. He feels his fingers tingle at the sight and goes to push the door fully open without thinking about it.

He stands in the now open doorway for a few moments and lets his eyes wander the space. Shelves of books line the walls and Jace can make out an open copy of the Shadowhunters codex left on one of the tables on the right side of the room.

He walks into the room, making to go pick up the book and place it onto the bookshelf but instead ends up moving to the left where the piano is.

He hasn’t played in a while. Not since his father had died. Jace’s mind halts on the thought and he stands frozen in the middle of the room.

It has been weeks since it happened. Weeks of being hauled from one Institute to another, no one knowing exactly what to do with him, until the Lightwoods had said they would take him in.

He wonders how long he’ll end up staying here before being shipped off somewhere else.

He stares at the piano from the center of the room but can’t bring himself to move any further.

His father had taught him to play. It seems wrong to continue doing it in a world where he no longer exists.

Jace finds himself in the library again the next day.

He hovers in the doorway a long moment before he moves towards the piano again. He makes it to the piano bench this time, fingers hovering over the ivory keys, before he stands up and walks out of the room with frustration boiling in his veins.

A few days later he manages to rest his fingers lightly on the keys, tracing them with his fingers and humming under his breath as he moves his fingers lightly from key to key.

And then a few weeks later he’s sitting in front of the piano, fingers hovering over the keys again when he’s startled by someone clearing their throat. 

His fingers fall ungracefully against the keys, creating a piercing cacophony of sound. It’s the first sound he’s made on a piano since his father died.

When he looks up, he finds Alec leaning against the doorway. He’s watching Jace with unashamed curiosity and Jace feels himself throwing up walls without even thinking about it.

“What?” He asks gruffly, turning back to the piano but moving his fingers away from the keys. 

Alec watches him with calculating eyes before he walk over to the piano bench and tilts his head, silently asking for permission to sit down next to Jace. 

When Jace chances a look up at him he finds hazel eyes rapt with determination. He turns away quickly again, annoyed at how easily Alec manages to get under his skin, but scoots over on the bench all the same. 

When Alec sits down he immediately moves his fingers to the keys. Jace watches from the corner of his eye as Alec sets his fingers before starts playing. His playing is a little stilted and awkward but it’s obvious he’s been taught to play from the way his fingers are positioned and the curve of his wrists.

He smiles sheepishly over at Jace as he continues to play and Jace studies him a moment.

He seems more relaxed than all the other times Jace has seen him during training or when they both stand awkwardly in the office and listen to Maryse and Robert go over their training and studies. Right now, Alec’s shoulders are loose and he smiles slightly as he plays.

“Izzy and I used to take lessons before training started taking up all our time,” Alec says, breaking the silence between them. He’s stopped playing and is facing Jace on the bench now. 

Alec bites his lip and watches Jace but it doesn’t look like he’s actually expecting Jace to respond to him. Jace is grateful, he’s not sure he’d know what to reply.

The silence between them isn’t awkward like it should be. Alec’s presence calms the air around him and makes Jace feel calm for the first time since he’s gotten here. After a moment, Jace feels the corner of his mouth quirk up slightly.

Alec tries to hide his satisfied smile by turning back to the piano but Jace still sees it. He lets his own lips quirk up into an actual smile and turns to face the piano as well.

Alec bumps their shoulders softly before he starts playing again. It takes Jace a moment of listening before he realizes Alec is playing a duet. The piece sounds empty without it’s complementary part and Jace’s fingers twitch towards the piano to fill in the spaces where he knows notes are supposed to go.

Jace turns to look at Alec and finds that he’s biting his lips against a smirk. Jace rolls his eyes, he knows exactly what he’s doing. He wants Jace to play with him and _somehow_ he knows that this is the only way that will make that happen.

He chuckles to himself before moving his fingers to the keys.

This time, it’s not that hard to press down and actually play.

For the first time, Jace finds himself thinking he might just want to stay here.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: [lightwormsiblings](https://lightwormsiblings.tumblr.com)  
> Twitter: [alistoney1](https://mobile.twitter.com/alistoney1)


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